NINJA TRUTH

The ninja had over 400 distinctive tools and weapons to fight with and defend themselves. The most familiar was one called the "kusari-gama," a chain...

The ninja used short swords when faced with imminent danger, such as in enemy territory. We'll see when these were used, and how they differed from wa...

The ninja employed over 400 special weapons and tools to accomplish their missions, and the shuriken is undoubtedly one of the most famous. In this ep...

The ninja were often given the important mission of infiltrating enemy territory and bringing back key information. Meanwhile, their own residences we...

The ninja are said to have been proficient in the use of gunpowder long before guns were brought to Japan, and to have invented over 230 uses for it....

The ninja used various tools and weapons on their secret missions. To protect themselves in dangerous situations, they used concealed weapons. Portabl...

Before modern times, the ninja worked secretly in the shadows, and a particularly shadowy figure is the female ninja or Kunoichi. While often portraye...

The ninja employed a wide range of tools to accomplish their missions. In this episode, we introduce the kunai and examine what it was made of and how...

Like all famous movie spies, the ninja had a wide array of spy tools at their disposal, and the shinobi rokugu were six tools that were considered ess...

Well-versed in astronomy, biology and other fields of natural science, the ninja used their knowledge of botany to create both poison and medicine. Po...

The ninja had two modes of operation: Innin and Yonin. Innin covered assassinations, sabotage and other covert operations requiring stealth, while Yon...

Jumping down from 15-meter heights. Running 100 kilometers in a day. These are just some of the feats that the ninja were said to be capable of. And i...

The ninja are said to have been capable of remembering extensive details about the estates and castles they infiltrated. To learn how they were able t...

Although the ninja are known for working in the shadows, the early Edo period found them serving in one-hundred-man units. Join Chris Glenn and Profes...

Since ninja were engaged in espionage, they had to gather information and accurately convey it without anyone knowing. Typical means of information tr...

The Hojo clan was a warrior clan that ruled the Kanto region from the 15th to 16th century. Supporting their efforts to defeat enemies and maintain co...

While the ninja moved unseen throughout Japan, Iga, in present-day Mie Prefecture, has been called the birthplace of the ninja arts. Join Chris Glenn...

The ninja art of escape, or tonsojutsu, frequently took advantage of the human psyche. We examine some ninja tactics and get a psychologist's perspect...

The Bansenshukai is a compilation of ninja techniques from 49 Iga and Koka ninja schools. It covers everything from ninja principles to various ninja...

Ninja tools of clay and stone were unearthed at sixteenth-century archaeological sites. They were clay makibishi and stone tsubute. However, iron-work...

Along with Iga, the Koka region is synonymous with ninja. The Koka Ninja are often depicted in anime and movies as the arch rivals of the Iga Ninja or...

Ninja have often been depicted flying on large kites in manga and anime. Was such a feat really possible? With the help of an expert in fluid dynamics...

Two men have been called "the last ninja." The first is Fujita Seiko, who lived over a hundred years ago. Introducing himself as the last ninja, he he...

We meet with two specialists at the forefront of ninja research. In 2021, Fukushima Takamasa found the Kanrinseiyo. Known to exist but never seen befo...

The modern image of the ninja—an agile shadow warrior with impressive techniques—is derived from a fictional ninja named Sarutobi Sasuke. Yet he, in t...

Join us as we uncover the secrets of the ninjas who helped the Tokugawa shoguns to maintain order by collecting intelligence and investigating cases o...

The ninja tried to prepare for all emergencies. We'll examine how their survival mindset and techniques can be applied today and recent discoveries on...

The ninja observed animal behavior and applied them to their techniques. Meeting with experts, we'll examine some inspired by cat movements and a weap...

A ninja group known as the Hayamichi-no-mono operated in the northern Hirosaki Domain for about two hundred years. We examine the role they played and...

The arrival of guns in Japan changed the face of warfare. We examine the ninja's use of firearms, particularly in one famous assassination attempt, an...

The ninja developed weather forecasting techniques to help them survive and accomplish dangerous missions. With the help of a meteorologist, we examin...

A collection of documents known as the Masugikaidake-monjo was discovered in Koka. Covering everything from family feuds to mission details and expens...